Film about 1968 Olympics Black Power salute offers lessons for today's athletes

Tommie Smith reflects on the legacy of his Black Power salute at 1968 Olympics
ahead of the release of Salute, a documentary about the protest.

9:25AM BST 12 Jul 2012

The image of Smith and Carlos stands as a seminal moment in the Olympic movement– the duo bowed their heads and raised black-gloved fists at the men's 200 metres victory ceremony in an unprecedented protest on behalf of their oppressed black compatriots.

Smith had earlier won the 200 metres final with Carlos coming in third.

The documentary on the turmoil which followed is directed by Matt Norman, son of Peter, the Australian 200 metres silver medallist who took to the podium in solidarity with the two dissidents.

The black power salute sparking a terse response for the International Olympic Committee at the time, deemed it a political statement not fit for the Games. They ordered the athletes suspended and never again did Smith, Carlos or Norman race for their country.

Smith said that he and Carlos never saw Norman as a supporter but an equal in their fight.

"There are those that say Peter backed Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the victory stand. I happily oppose. Peter backed himself. He did not need Tommie Smith and John Carlos to believe in what he did. He just happened to be blessed to be on the victory stand with two people who believed in what he did. And that was the power of that human rights stand in Mexico City in 1968. Togetherness."

Simon Woolley, a commissioner for race on the Equality and Human Rights Commission said the images and the film tell a powerful story.

"These guys were at the top of their game and in their moment of glory, they said 'this is not about us, it's about others'. A supreme sacrifice of any sportsman or sportswoman. And yet today, we have sports stars who are far too interested in the new Ferrari than society around them.

"The legacy of Smith, the legacy of Norman and Carlos is that yes, you can be brilliant, you can be the very best that you can be but you can also think of others. Have the integrity, have the honesty to say it's not just about me."